May - 2006 Articles
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Wild birds 'partly' to blame for bird flu spread
31 May 2006
They have helped transmit the deadly H5N1 strain across Eurasia, a major UN meeting agrees – but shooting wild birds could make things worse
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New space station laboratory arrives in Florida
31 May 2006
The Columbus module, Europe's major contribution to the ISS, is scheduled to launch on the space shuttle in the late summer of 2007
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Radar satellite maps the sinking of New Orleans
31 May 2006
The new map provides the most detailed picture yet of the city's subsidence – it could help the engineers rebuilding the city avoid the faster-sinking areas
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Did Saturn's volcanic moon roll with it?
31 May 2006
Enceladus may have tilted to stabilise itself after warm ice or rock welled up beneath the surface and ended up spewing from its south pole
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DNA detectives crack code of mixed messages
31 May 2006
A new forensic technique is helping to untangle the information in mixed DNA samples, where the material has come from two people
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Spyware program 'blackmails' computer users
31 May 2006
The program installs spyware on a computer and then blackmails users into buying software to remove it
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Lost luggage forces spacewalk rethink
31 May 2006
The difficulty of keeping track of thousands of items aboard the International Space Station means improvisation is needed
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Mussel beds don't like it hot
31 May 2006
In the past 40 years, biodiversity in mussel beds along California's coast has crashed by an average of 60% – but why?
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Solar power – seriously souped up
31 May 2006
Make solar cells as small as a molecule, and you get twice as much as you bargained for – could this be the route to limitless free power?
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Can bulldozers save Moonwalkers from solar flares?
30 May 2006
Burying a habitat module under metres of lunar soil is just one idea being batted around as a way to protect lunar astronauts from solar radiation
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UNAIDS: HIV infection rate has stabilised at last
30 May 2006
The rate of new infections seems to have stopped accelerating for the first time in the 25-year history of AIDS, a UN report revealed on Tuesday
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Invention: Mile-high showers
30 May 2006
This week's patents include a way to join the mile-high shower club, a cunning camera inspired by our darting eyes, and how to spot risky arterial plaques
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Bipolar teens see hostility in neutral faces
30 May 2006
Adolescents with bipolar disorder are more likely to misinterpret neutral facial expressions – and brain scans reveal a boosted fear level
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Satellite could open door on extra dimension
30 May 2006
An exotic theory which predicts thousands of black holes exist in our solar system could be tested by NASA's gamma-ray-detecting space telescope, launching in 2007
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Carbon nanotubes pinned down at last
30 May 2006
A new technique fixes nanotubes exactly where needed for tiny transistors, helping remove a key hurdle to the development of nanotube-based electronics
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The next generation of prosthetic arms
30 May 2006
The large number of soldier amputees from recent conflicts has led to a surge in prosthetics research
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Heavy metals may be implicated in autism
30 May 2006
Urine samples from French children yield evidence for a link between autism and exposure to heavy metals, perhaps offering hope for treatments
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Heart may be home to its own stem cells
29 May 2006
A US team discovers the "home" of stem cells in the heart, lending credence to the idea that the heart has the capacity to repair itself
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Breathe in a vaccine against cervical cancer
29 May 2006
Preliminary tests show the vaccine can trigger an immune response similar to that seen with the injectable vaccine, soon to be available in the US and Europe
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Phishers could start using the personal touch
29 May 2006
Imagine hackers being able to discover which websites you visit and using this info to personalise their bogus emails to you
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Experts call for smarter seat belts
29 May 2006
Vehicle safety experts are urging car makers to develop smarter seat belts to protect older drivers from chest injuries
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Controversy over claims in favour of GM corn
29 May 2006
A researcher into scientific ethics calls for the withdrawal of a paper purporting to show that consumers preferred genetically modified corn to the natural variety
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Double rethink on prion diseases
28 May 2006
Evidence has emerged that infectious prions could be spread when animals lick each other during grooming sessions
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Spider monkeys go on the warpath
27 May 2006
Raiding parties, subterfuge and warfare – chimps and humans use these tactics, but now they have been observed in a non-ape for the first time
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Killer bush
27 May 2006
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Perspectives: The heart of emotion
27 May 2006
Why did Princess Diana's death provoke global grief, while the demise of a homeless person barely registers on our emotional radar. For Daniel M Gross, this difference is telling
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Climate change: Let the Supreme Court decide
27 May 2006
Action on climate change has always been left to the politicians – but perhaps not for much longer
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Physics: Are we nearly there yet
27 May 2006
What major insights have physicists stumbled upon in the last 20 years? Hardly any, says Robert Matthews, except that there's a whole lot they don't understand
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The word: Pica
27 May 2006
People that suffer from pica are strangely compelled to eat non-food items – and the range is staggering
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Beyond 9 to 5: Your life in time by Sarah Norgate
27 May 2006
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Dr Euler's Fabulous Formula: Cures many mathematical ills by Paul J. Nahin
27 May 2006
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Lessons from Cambridge's top high-tech entrepreneur
27 May 2006
How do you excel in academia and also manage to afford an airstrip in your back garden? Justin Mullins meets one Cambridge scientist and entrepreneur with the answer
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Question of taste
27 May 2006
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Feedback
27 May 2006
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Editorial: Only the best care will do
27 May 2006
There are few more contentious topics in the US today than the Iraq war, but everyone should agree that returning soldiers deserve the best medical treatment
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Climate change: Tearing the Earth apart?
27 May 2006
Never mind the weather, climate change could rip up the very fabric of our planet, says Bill McGuire
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Dawn of the zombies
27 May 2006
You can poke them, prod them and pump them full of drugs, and they'll never complain, as New Scientist discovers
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Taking liberties
27 May 2006
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Disrespecting the dead
27 May 2006
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Legal drug pushers
27 May 2006
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Gene society
27 May 2006
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Cyclists' fumes
27 May 2006
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Watch your step
27 May 2006
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Like can attract like
27 May 2006
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Scientists and SUVs
27 May 2006
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Anagram clue
27 May 2006
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Steeper than vertical
27 May 2006
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Smarter than the average bug
27 May 2006
Its brain may be no bigger than a pinhead, but this jumping spider can solve problems that would flummox some mammals
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Is anything imaginary?
27 May 2006
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Too risky to ignore
27 May 2006
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60 Seconds
27 May 2006
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Soundbites
27 May 2006
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Double rethink on prion diseases
27 May 2006
Evidence has emerged that infectious prions could be spread when animals lick each other during grooming sessions
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Rich and poor – the unequal struggle
27 May 2006
No matter how wealthy our society becomes, the bigger the gap is between rich and poor, the worse it is for people's health, says Michael Marmot
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Gizmo
27 May 2006
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Experts call for smarter seat belts
27 May 2006
Vehicle safety experts are urging car makers to develop smarter seat belts to protect older drivers from chest injuries
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DNA 'barcodes' reveal many more shrimp in the sea
27 May 2006
With ocean life under ever greater threat, the scramble to catalogue marine diversity before it disappears is yielding more than anyone expected
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Caffeine shots help premature babies
27 May 2006
You may rely on caffeine to sharpen you up in the morning, but the drug may also help premature babies breathe more easily
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Breathe in a vaccine against cervical cancer
27 May 2006
Preliminary tests show the vaccine can trigger an immune response similar to that seen with the injectable vaccine, soon to be available in the US and Europe
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Lobsters shun their sick buddies
27 May 2006
When spiny lobsters detect disease in their fellows they take evasive action, even before the sick ones become infectious
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Size matters to all sorts of show-offs
27 May 2006
Male sexual traits that are attractive to females of the species, like antlers or peacock feathers, become disproportionately large as body size increases
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Hurricane season in overdrive again
27 May 2006
Batten down the hatches – hurricane activity in the North Atlantic is expected to be above average this year, perhaps repeating recent levels
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This week 6 years ago
27 May 2006
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Mendel's laws of inheritance challenged
27 May 2006
It now appears that RNA, as well as DNA, can carry information from one generation to the next
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How to protect fusion reactors from flare-ups
27 May 2006
Power from nuclear fusion could become more practical thanks to a new way of protecting the inside of reactor vessels from super-hot plasma
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Hobbit brain 'too small' to be a new species
27 May 2006
The supposed new species Homo florsiensis, announced in 2004, was in fact a modern human with a pathological condition, researchers argue
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Spider monkeys go on the warpath
27 May 2006
Raiding parties, subterfuge and warfare – chimps and humans use these tactics, but now they have been observed in a non-ape for the first time
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Editorial: Enigmatic prion disease continues to baffle
27 May 2006
Our picture of prion disease is tantalisingly incomplete, but much rests on getting to the bottom of it
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Controversy over claims in favour of GM corn
27 May 2006
A researcher into scientific ethics calls for the withdrawal of a paper purporting to show that consumers preferred genetically modified corn to the natural variety
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Canada may be caving in on Kyoto
27 May 2006
Delegates at the UN climate change conference are "shocked" as Canada announces that its commitments to the Kyoto protocol are "unachievable"
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Are vitamin pills pointless?
27 May 2006
One in two Americans takes multivitamin pills regularly, so they must be doing some good, right? Not necessarily, says an expert panel
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Human risk of vCJD revised
27 May 2006
Could a whole new section of the population be at risk of developing the human form of mad cow disease?
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EU fish win stay of extinction
27 May 2006
Dwindling European fish stocks have won a reprieve – but only just – as the EU refuses to overturn a ban on more powerful fishing boats
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Can new reactors survive terror attack?
27 May 2006
The safety of a new breed of reactor has been thrown into doubt by a leaked French report showing it is not designed to withstand a major aircraft impact
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The Moon's highlands show their age
26 May 2006
From the smooth lunar plains to the pockmarked highlands, ESA's SMART-1 probe is giving a bird's-eye view of the Moon's starkly contrasting terrain
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Mysterious glowing clouds targeted by NASA
26 May 2006
A new spacecraft will observe the silvery blue clouds that have spread around the world and brightened in recent years, possibly due to global warming
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Robot hand controlled by thought alone
26 May 2006
The robotic hand mimics a real one and is controlled based on real-time imaging of the user's brain activity
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Phishers could start using the personal touch
26 May 2006
Imagine hackers being able to discover which websites you visit and using this info to personalise their bogus emails to you
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Pacific tsunami warning system successfully tested
26 May 2006
The biggest problem during the first test of the system was just a few missing text messages, despite several actual quakes occurring during the test simulation
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World's indigenous groups may risk a 'slow death'
26 May 2006
Critics claim the UN's Millennium Development Goals ignore indigenous groups, but defenders say the targets can boost minorities' wellbeing
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Global warming stretches subtropical boundaries
26 May 2006
The tropical air circulation system, which brings rain to the equator but drought to the subtropics, has expanded by about 1° of latitude in 27 years
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Spotting the quantum tracks of gravity waves
26 May 2006
The spooky link that can exist between quantum particles could provide an unexpected way to detect gravitational waves
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Sleep your way to a slimmer body
26 May 2006
Women who sleep less than 5 hours per night gain more weight than those who sleep for 7 hours per night, a new study reveals
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Interview: A gift from the Mayans
26 May 2006
A campaign is underway to save the nut forests planted by the Mayans two thousand years ago, and Erika Vohman is at the centre of the effort
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Physicists draw up plans for real 'cloaking device'
25 May 2006
Through the use of materials engineered to have abnormal optical properties, a classic Star Trek technology may move from fiction to fact
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Solar spacecraft gets new lease of life
25 May 2006
New funding for the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory spacecraft, run jointly by NASA and the ESA, extends its Sun-spying mission to the end of 2009
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UK drug trial disaster – the official report
25 May 2006
The report into the safety trial that left six men fighting for their lives has severely criticised Parexel, the firm that carried out the testing
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Interactive display system knows users by touch
25 May 2006
By keeping track of different users, the technology could lead to safer vehicle controls systems and innovative interactive games
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Earthshine inspires hunt for alien life
25 May 2006
The glow of sunlight bouncing off the Earth reveals many tell-tale signs of life – the same may be true of light reflected by planets orbiting their own shining stars
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Artificial penis allows rabbits to mate normally
25 May 2006
Biological penile structures grown in the lab and implanted into patients may one day help treat men with severe forms of erectile dysfunction
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Lava tubes snapped snaking across Mars
25 May 2006
Dramatic 3D images of ancient lava tubes on the Martian volcano, Pavonis Mons, are released by Europe's Mars Express mission
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Let a chatbot help you quit
25 May 2006
Need a little help to stop smoking but don't have the time or money to visit a counsellor? Then let a virtual coach help you kick the habit
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Rhythm method criticised as a killer of embryos
25 May 2006
For couples that believe the sanctity of life begins when sperm meets egg, the rhythm method of birth control may be a bad idea, a philosopher claims
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Gigantic fusion reactor gets the green light
24 May 2006
The 10 billion international project will test whether fusion could become a viable source of abundant and clean energy for the future
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Safety scare over 'the new gene therapy'
24 May 2006
One variation of RNA interference, a promising new technique to deliver therapeutic genes, can cause fatal liver damage in mice
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Nanowire transistors outperform silicon switches
24 May 2006
At about half of the size of the smallest silicon components, they could pack more processing punch – a key step towards super-fast nanoscale computing
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Carbon trading: Keeping the green dream alive
24 May 2006
If Europe keeps its head, the crisis in trading carbon credits to offset emissions need not be fatal
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The kink at the edge of the solar system
24 May 2006
The outer boundary of the solar system is distorted as though it has been punched from below, according to NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft
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Bird flu may have passed between family members
24 May 2006
One family in Indonesia lost seven members through the deadly H5N1 virus, with no sign of diseased poultry in the immediate area, the WHO reports
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Sleeping pill may rouse coma patients
24 May 2006
Paradoxically, the insomnia drug Ambien appears to temporarily restore more brain function in trauma patients, researchers claim
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Distant gamma-ray burst may be in class of its own
24 May 2006
A hugely powerful short gamma-ray burst, discovered at a vast distance, may force astronomers to rethink the causes of these cosmic explosions
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Retinal 'projector' helps the partially blind see
24 May 2006
The machine allows those with poor eyesight to read words and familiarise themselves with a building by exploring a virtual version
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Monsoon gloom strikes South Asia
24 May 2006
The monsoon that brings crucial rain may be losing its strength thanks to global warming and the brown haze of pollution that hangs over the Indian Ocean
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Galactic lens reveals its inner self
23 May 2006
A kaleidoscopic Hubble image, made through a cluster of galaxies acting as a gravitational lens, may reveal the distribution of matter inside the lens
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Synthetic biologists reject controversial guidelines
23 May 2006
The draft proposal was intended to prevent gene-synthesising technologies being used to make bioweapons – but many groups were unhappy with it
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Galileo navigation satellites hugely over budget
23 May 2006
The European network – designed to rival the Global Positioning System controlled by the US – is already half a billion dollars over budget
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Pay-as-you-go PCs to launch in China and India
23 May 2006
Customers with low or unpredictable incomes can buy prepaid cards to use their computers as needed – then with enough cards bought, the PC is theirs
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Children with gene disorder share sperm donor dad
23 May 2006
Doctors believe they have traced a rare genetic illness affecting five children to a single donor, but experts say it is not viable to test donors for the disorder
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NASA's Deep Space Network under pressure
23 May 2006
A "vital asset" for communicating with spacecraft in deep space is feeling its age and will have trouble meeting future demand, a new report finds
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Histories: The sweet sound of profit
23 May 2006
In 1878 a young James Ritty, inspired by the workings of a steam ship, wondered if the sale of goods in a store could be recorded mechanically. Ker-ching!
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Gecko-like robot scampers up the wall
23 May 2006
Stickybot's feet, inspired by nature, hold it onto walls using only intermolecular forces – gecko-like gloves and shoes may follow
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Gene therapy delays inherited blindness
23 May 2006
The technique appears to protect vision in chickens with the congenital condition – the approach might one day treat childhood blindness
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Sexual ornaments grow out of all proportion
22 May 2006
Male body parts used to attract females, such as antlers or flashy tail feathers, become disproportionately large in virtually every species that boasts them
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Invention: hydrogen fuel balls
22 May 2006
This week's patents include a safe way to pump hydrogen fuel for cars, the full-size piano in your cellphone, and a laser-based bomb-detector
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Is hunt for 'cancer genes' a wild goose chase?
22 May 2006
Searching for common genes that might be linked to increased susceptibility to certain cancers could be a waste of money, argues a cancer researcher
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Risk of asteroid smashing into Earth reduced
22 May 2006
The danger to Earth from Apophis – which once looked relatively likely to hit our planet – appears to be waning, new radar observations reveal
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Nuclear fusion plasma problem tackled
22 May 2006
A way to prevent overheated plasma bursts damaging reaction chambers may make the next generation of reactors more efficient and cost effective
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Magnetic sled could hurl objects into orbit
22 May 2006
A levitating sled that whirls around a giant magnetic ring at ever increasing speeds could launch hundreds of microsatellites every day
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Caterpillars scent signs of trouble
22 May 2006
Smelly chemicals released by plants seem to act as a warning to their insect predators
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At last, a way to test time travel
22 May 2006
Why take the scenic route through time when shortcuts are just a dimension away? New Scientist investigates
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Pigeon-brained birds can think in logarithms
21 May 2006
Confused by logarithms? If so, you may be surprised to hear they come naturally to pigeons and possible, subconsciously, to you
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Welcome to Sun City, Peru
20 May 2006
The capital of the Sun-worshipping Inca civilisation was Cuzco, in Peru, and satellites now reveal it gets more UV than anywhere on Earth. Coincidence?
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Colossus: The secrets of Bletchley Park's codebreaking computers edited by Jack Copeland
20 May 2006
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When evolution runs backwards
20 May 2006
Our impact on the environment may be forcing evolution into reverse, collapsing recently formed species back into single ones
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Baby Truman Show spies on speech
20 May 2006
Take one newborn and use microphones and video cameras to record him 14 hours a day, 365 days a year – you may learn the secrets of acquiring language
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This week 18 years ago
20 May 2006
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Flocking birds inspire information organisation
20 May 2006
A new system that groups information by mimicking the way birds flock together could simplify your internet use
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Captain Cook's logs tell magnetic tale
20 May 2006
The log books of Captain Cook and other mariners reveal the weakening of Earth's magnetic field is a relatively recent phenomenon
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Feedback
20 May 2006
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Pigeon-brained birds can think in logarithms
20 May 2006
Confused by logarithms? If so, you may be surprised to hear they come naturally to pigeons and possible, subconsciously, to you
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Three-planet star system discovered
20 May 2006
It is the first ever multiple planetary system to be composed only of Neptune-sized worlds – the find is just 41 light years away
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Pinning down where Prozac works
20 May 2006
It is possible that many treatments for depression do the same thing in the brain – now there could be a way to find out exactly what's going on
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Down the drain?
20 May 2006
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Soundbites
20 May 2006
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Out of mountain ice in Africa?
20 May 2006
The snow and glaciers on mountains close to the equator in Africa have always seemed a touch improbable – now they may vanish within two decades
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Intelligent Thought edited by John Brockman
20 May 2006
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Editorial: Messy divorce for chimp and human ancestors
20 May 2006
It seems both sets of ancestors may have carried on mating with each other long after our family tree branched from theirs
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Editorial: Emissions trading system off to shaky start
20 May 2006
The market for permits to release greenhouse gases has slumped – this is hardly good news, but it need be nothing more than teething trouble
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Bird lovers in denial over bird flu
20 May 2006
It's clear that wild birds are spreading the H5N1 virus, so why do some bird experts still refuse to acknowledge it, asks Debora MacKenzie
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Graduate special: Six perfect jobs for scientists
20 May 2006
We quizzed six people in their dream jobs, from beer research to sewage science (plus found out what it's like living with big, orange apes)
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Flight of fancy
20 May 2006
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Welcome to Sun City, Peru
20 May 2006
The capital of the Sun-worshipping Inca civilisation was Cuzco, in Peru, and satellites now reveal it gets more UV than anywhere on Earth. Coincidence?
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The reality of chronic fatigue syndrome
20 May 2006
Once derided as "yuppie flu", the physical evidence for CFS, also known as ME, is beginning to stack up
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60 Seconds
20 May 2006
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Brits less fazed by Iraq war
20 May 2006
Serving in Iraq does not increase the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder, at least for British troops, according to a new report
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Dust-to-dust cost
20 May 2006
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Korea's disgraced 'cloning king' may face jail
20 May 2006
Woo Suk Hwang has now been indicted on charges of fraud, embezzlement and violating South Korea's bioethics laws
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An elephant in the room
20 May 2006
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What am I going to do with my future?
20 May 2006
If life after graduation brings on a cold sweat, putting yourself in the shoes of Dustin Hoffman in the classic film The Graduate should give you some perspective...
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A diagnosis disorder?
20 May 2006
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Beauty...
20 May 2006
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Far too cute
20 May 2006
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Tilt!
20 May 2006
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Redesigning life: Meet the bio-hackers
20 May 2006
For the new breed of synthetic biologists, creatures are a collection of parts for constructing living machines, as New Scientist discovers
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Beastly principle
20 May 2006
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Name that monkey
20 May 2006
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Online games, real-life crimes
20 May 2006
With crime in the virtual world beginning to spill into the real one, it's time to decide where legitimate game play ends and law-breaking begins
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Philosophy or science?
20 May 2006
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Graduate special: Fourteen myths about graduating
20 May 2006
You heard it in the pub. It happened to a friend of a friend. They are the urban myths of graduation, says Matthew Killeya
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Gizmo
20 May 2006
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All at sea
20 May 2006
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Power to the grid
20 May 2006
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Graduate special: Eight tips for job interview success
20 May 2006
You have as little as 20 minutes to persuade an employer you are right for the job. Our industry insiders explain how to impress
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The briefing
20 May 2006
All the facts and figures you need before you make your next move
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The word: Troglobyte
20 May 2006
In 17th-century Slovenia, people didn't just believe in dragons, they new they existed because they had seen their young
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The incredible shrinking iguana
20 May 2006
Meet the bizarre reptile that changes its size with the weather
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Interview: Confessions of a brain surgeon
20 May 2006
Neurosurgeon Katrina Firlik's new book provides a candid behind-the-scenes peek into the operating room and the body's most fascinating organ
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Benjamin Franklin: Scientist for the common man
20 May 2006
Before he became a great American statesman, Benjamin Franklin was a brilliant scientist, as revealed in a new book by Joyce Chaplin
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Love's many stories
20 May 2006
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In the hall of the silicon king
20 May 2006
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Waste not...
20 May 2006
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Gravity conundrum
20 May 2006
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Act now on climate
20 May 2006
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Google vs. Microsoft: The fight for your computer
20 May 2006
Can the world's favourite search engine win out over its rival by changing the way we use computers?
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Lasers to dazzle drivers at Iraqi checkpoints
19 May 2006
Soldiers will use the lasers to dazzle drivers who fail to slow down at military checkpoints, but their use raises safety concerns
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Unique wide-field telescope will make 'sky movies'
19 May 2006
The powerful new device will use a novel three-mirror setup to image the entire sky every three nights – it will be built in Chile, if funding is secured
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Biotech firm bucks GM trend, stirring controversy
19 May 2006
While many companies forsake producing medicinal proteins through the engineering of staple food plants, Ventria Bioscience ploughs ahead with rice
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How our body's defences aid computers in distress
19 May 2006
The human immune system has inspired a new way of protecting computer networks from viruses and hackers
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Flashy goggles combat space sickness
19 May 2006
Goggles that simulate a strobe-lighting effect could prevent the nauseating effects of space sickness – and that of more down-to-Earth travel
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Chinese PCs banned from classified US networks
19 May 2006
Some fear the computers could pose a security risk, but the Chinese company making them says they could not be used for spying
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vCJD may lurk in more people than realised
19 May 2006
Some human genes may not protect against the deadly human form of mad cow disease after all, a new study warns
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Russia hopes to double Soyuz trips to space station
19 May 2006
By doing so the permanent crew in orbit could be boosted to six, say the spacecraft's makers – and some seats could go to ultra-rich space tourists
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Where have all the flowers come from?
19 May 2006
A "living fossil" may provide a missing evolutionary link between primitive land plants and the Earth's dizzying array of flowering plants
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New research suggests 'hobbit' was not a new species
18 May 2006
Comparisons with other mammals strengthen the case for the Indonesian hobbit being an individual with a condition known as microcephaly, rather than a new species
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Europe's new nuclear reactors will not be 9/11-proof
18 May 2006
The type of reactor planned to be built across the continent is not designed to withstand the impact of a jumbo jet, reveals a leaked report
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Game company sued over virtual land squabble
18 May 2006
The lawsuit highlights the large amounts of money that many gamers invest in the hope of reaping a profit within their virtual world
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Lasers could ensure satellites fly in perfect formation
18 May 2006
The push of photons and pull of Kevlar tethers would allow nanometre-scale accuracy – effectively enabling the creation of giant space telescopes
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Prizes for viable hydrogen fuel cell
18 May 2006
The US Congress is offering rewards totalling $10 million for developing the key technologies needed to make hydrogen fuel cells viable for cars
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Flocking birds inspire information organisation
18 May 2006
A new system that groups information by mimicking the way birds flock together could simplify internet feeds from sites like CNN and the BBC
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Discovery set for journey to launch pad
18 May 2006
The space shuttle – bound for the space station – will begin its slow journey to the pad before sunrise to avoid thunderstorms and rush-hour traffic
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Himalayan forests are quietly vanishing
18 May 2006
The forests are disappearing so fast that a quarter of animal and plant species in this biodiversity hotspot will be gone by the end of the century
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Space exploration program is out of this world
18 May 2006
The latest version of NASA's World Wind software allows anyone with an internet connection to sail across Martian landscapes or spin Jupiter around like a top
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Hidden codes in monkey chit-chat
18 May 2006
"Pyow pyow hack hack hack," or, to translate: "C'mon. We're outta here!" Researchers may have got to grips with monkey jabber
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Caffeine boosts breathing in premature infants
17 May 2006
A large study finds the stimulant helps reduce lung disease in the babies – it appears to activates a respiratory control centre in the brain
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Ultraviolet LED may boost disc capacity
17 May 2006
The LEDs produce the shortest wavelength of any such device – they could lead to optical discs that hold four times as much as a conventional DVD
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Superbugs slain by soil antibiotic
17 May 2006
Soil bacteria from South Africa have yielded an antibiotic that kills usually immune bacteria
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The short reign of dwarf galaxies
17 May 2006
Call it a case of cosmic bullying – the dwarf galaxies that ruled the early universe had to make way for giants like our own Milky Way
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Did humans and chimps once interbreed?
17 May 2006
Our human ancestors were still interbreeding with their chimp cousins long after first splitting from the chimp lineage, a genetic study suggests
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Extrasolar-planet hunters find triple-Neptune system
17 May 2006
And one of the planets is by far the smallest ever found in the "habitable zone" of a Sun-like star, where liquid water could exist
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Five more bird flu deaths in Indonesia
17 May 2006
The nation's death toll is now at 30, and it has witnessed more bird flu deaths than any other country in 2006
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Programmer speeds search for gravitational waves
17 May 2006
A distributed online search for the ripples in space-time – predicted by Einstein nearly a century ago – is boosted by one smart volunteer
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Distant 'Earths' will only be seen from space
17 May 2006
A sophisticated new simulation reveals how big extrasolar planets must be to hope to see them from the ground – at least the size of Jupiter
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How to kick the oil habit
17 May 2006
Oil is more expensive than it's ever been, and consumers in the US are starting to feel the burden. Francis Slakey has a radical short-term solution
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Songbirds listen out for half their brood
17 May 2006
Even songbirds have their favourite offspring – male and female black redstarts divide up care for their brood, by listening out for a few chicks each
-
Autism: The search for Steven
17 May 2006
Will it ever be possible to "bring out" the real person in an autistic child? Perhaps not, but Vilayanur Ramachandran and Lindsay Oberman think they have compelling evidence to explain autism's bizarre symptoms
-
Heat shields tested for shuttle replacement
16 May 2006
NASA uses a "room-sized blowtorch" to test the various materials under consideration for the Crew Exploration Vehicle
-
Can computer models replace animal testing?
16 May 2006
As the public debate rages over the use of animals in drug development, a change is taking place in labs across the world
-
'Fly-by-wireless' plane takes to the air
16 May 2006
The final version of the plane will have no wires or mechanical connections between its engine, navigation systems and onboard computers – only a wireless network
-
Gamers help the blind get the picture
16 May 2006
Computer gamers now have the perfect excuse to sit in front of their computers all day – they can perform a public service
-
Spacecraft collision due to catalogue of errors
16 May 2006
NASA's DART craft – which crashed into a satellite instead of autonomously docking with it – suffered serious problems with its navigation systems
-
Drummers tune in to robot rhythm
16 May 2006
The robot faces a human across a drum and perfectly mimics their actions before improvising its own rhythms based on them
-
Diabetes gene therapy carried by 'bubbles' in the blood
16 May 2006
Injecting tiny spherical shells containing insulin genes into the body and opening them safely in the pancreas is achieved in rats
-
Looking for aliens on the Moon
16 May 2006
When astronauts return to the Moon, they should keep their eyes peeled for extraterrestrial artefacts just in case, an astronomer argues
-
Why eating less can be the key to a long life
16 May 2006
Why calorific restriction should lengthen life is not clear, but it now seems that growth hormone could well be a piece in the puzzle
-
How Prozac affects the brain
15 May 2006
New research in mice may help explain exactly how brains react to antidepressants like Prozac – and may lead to highly targeted therapies
-
Invention: Human cannonballs
15 May 2006
This week's patents feature an 'ejector seat' - designed by DARPA - to hurl emergency personnel from the ground onto the roofs of tall buildings
-
Computer chip fraud scandalises China
15 May 2006
Experts say the controversy highlights the pressure on Chinese researchers to help their country catch up with the West
-
'Cloaked' carbon nanotubes become non-toxic
15 May 2006
A new way to cover the toxic tubes marks a step towards their use in medicine – it makes them highly customisable too
-
Porous plastic protects coastlines from erosion
15 May 2006
The spray-on polyurethane coating protects sea walls from the battering of waves during storms
-
Japan's space sneakers are ultra-high heels
15 May 2006
New curved sneakers for use in space could help astronauts keep their muscles from wasting in zero-gravity
-
Maize in global gene bank crisis
15 May 2006
At least half the seed stocks are unable to germinate because of incorrect storage, with potentially dire consequences for the world's food supply
-
Watch language grow in the 'Baby Brother' house
15 May 2006
An unprecedented study is monitoring a baby for 14 hours a day, 365 days a year, in a unique effort to understand how humans acquire language
-
Comet break-up fuels spectacular sky show
15 May 2006
Comet 73P continues its glorious disintegration as it flies by Earth – it is now in at least 58 visible pieces, so grab your binoculars
-
Potent protein regenerates damaged eye nerves
15 May 2006
A molecule that causes more eye-nerve regrowth than any yet found is revealed in rat experiments – research into spinal nerves is next
-
Was our universe made for us or not?
15 May 2006
Some say the universe is so finely tuned to support life, there is little point asking why – but there may now be a way to test one aspect of this view
-
Biggest map of universe reveals colossal structures
15 May 2006
The map stretches 5 billion light years and includes a million galaxies – its features support a Universe dominated by dark matter and dark energy
-
Red wine may fight deafness
14 May 2006
Moderate consumption of the popular drink, or aspirin, could delay the onset of age-related deafness and reduce hearing loss caused by loud noise
-
Plastics link to 'macho' female mice
14 May 2006
The "gender bending" chemical bisphenol A, which masculinises the brains of female mice, is often found in bottles and food containers
-
Pregnancy may be fertile ground for acupuncturists
13 May 2006
The practice may boost pregnancy rates after IVF, according to two new studies, though another trial found no significant benefits
-
Animal activists flee UK clampdown
13 May 2006
As UK laws to try to restrict militant animal rights activists, it's no coincidence that campaigns are gaining pace abroad
-
A future with no bananas?
13 May 2006
The world's most popular fruit and the fourth most important food crop of any sort is in deep trouble, as wild and traditional varieties collapse in India
-
Bird flu: Animal apocalypse?
13 May 2006
Even if the H5N1 strain never turns into a human plague, the virus could be the nail in the coffin for some species nearing extinction
-
Exercise protects against skin and bowel cancers
13 May 2006
Two studies in mice show that running reduces the development of these tumour types, but probably for different biological reasons
-
'Commercial' cull
13 May 2006
-
Gas guzzler adverts
13 May 2006
-
Feedback
13 May 2006
-
DVD protection
13 May 2006
-
Kalulu the lunar hare
13 May 2006
-
Flu virus missing?
13 May 2006
-
Nuclear expertise
13 May 2006
-
Home planet fossils
13 May 2006
-
Cops can save forests
13 May 2006
-
For the record
13 May 2006
-
Periodic baptisms
13 May 2006
-
Selective memory
13 May 2006
-
Dunes are Titan's weather vane
13 May 2006
Large stretches of Earth-like dunes on Saturn's giant moon are providing clues to the weather on its surface
-
Cooking immunity
13 May 2006
-
First quake expert
13 May 2006
-
Confusing definitions
13 May 2006
-
Take your pick
13 May 2006
-
Editorial: Fight fat, dump school sodas
13 May 2006
To fight obesity in the US, major soft-drinks manufacturers have accepted a deal to limit sugar-rich drinks in school vending machines. It's a start
-
Pregnancy may be fertile ground for acupuncturists
13 May 2006
The practice may boost pregnancy rates after IVF, according to two new studies, though another trial found no significant benefits
-
Are you an extreme dreader?
13 May 2006
Would you rather have more pain right now, or less pain within the next minute? The answer, along with brain scans, reveals the anatomy of dread
-
Plastics link to 'macho' female mice
13 May 2006
The "gender bending" chemical bisphenol A, which masculinises the brains of female mice, is often found in bottles and food containers
-
Red wine may fight deafness
13 May 2006
Moderate consumption of the popular drink, or aspirin, could delay the onset of age-related deafness and reduce hearing loss caused by loud noise
-
Exquisite fossils could be early missing link
13 May 2006
The discovery in China of fossils 515 million years old may plug a gaping hole in the fossil record between the Ediacaran and Cambrian periods
-
This week 24 years ago
13 May 2006
-
Editorial: Crying wolf over bird flu?
13 May 2006
We would all like to believe that a bird flu pandemic will never happen but, despite any media backlash, bird flu remains a real threat
-
Social-climber wasps put their feet up
13 May 2006
As female hairy-faced hover wasps move toward queenhood, they spend less time foraging, allowing lowly workers to take up the slack
-
Soundbites
13 May 2006
-
Artificial sweetener given the all clear
13 May 2006
Six months after reports that aspartame caused cancer in rats, the European Food Safety Authority declare the controversial research flawed
-
A future with no bananas?
13 May 2006
The world's most popular fruit and the fourth most important food crop of any sort is in deep trouble, as wild and traditional varieties collapse in India
-
60 Seconds
13 May 2006
-
Shrink wrapped
13 May 2006
-
Sugary drinks leave US schools
13 May 2006
At last, the US is taking steps to wean its schoolchildren off the sugary drinks normally peddled from school vending machines
-
Energy gap, what energy gap?
13 May 2006
A UK conservation group says this "gap" is nothing more than a myth created to justify building a new generation of nuclear power stations
-
Don't run away
13 May 2006
-
New Zealand's blossoming biotech sector
13 May 2006
New Zealand may not be the biggest player in science, but it does boast some world-class research. Gaia Vince finds out how golden fruit, belching sheep and superconductors are just part of a thriving science community
-
Gizmo
13 May 2006
-
Allergy: The history of a modern malady by Mark Jackson
13 May 2006
-
Atoms and Alchemy by William Newman
13 May 2006
-
Zen-Brain Reflections by James Austin
13 May 2006
-
The word: Gelatology
13 May 2006
A priest, a horse and a gelatonist walk into a bar
-
Mikhail Gorbachev: My route to green
13 May 2006
From president of the USSR to environmental activist sounds like an unlikely path, but Mikhail Gorbachev says it was a natural progression
-
Animal activists flee UK clampdown
13 May 2006
As UK laws to try to restrict militant animal rights activists, it's no coincidence that campaigns are gaining pace abroad
-
NASA announces its 'Lunar Lander Challenge'
13 May 2006
The agency, itself a long way from returning to the Moon, is challenging inventors to build a lunar lander, and offering some serious prize money
-
The new incredibles: Enhanced humans
13 May 2006
People with enhanced senses, superhuman bodies and sharpened minds are already walking among us. Are you ready for your upgrade?
-
Gamers help the blind get the picture
13 May 2006
Gamers now have the perfect excuse to sit in front of their computers all day: they can perform a public service
-
Cellphone antennas pinpoint the rain
13 May 2006
The strength of radio signals sent between cellphone base stations provides a cheap and accurate measure of rainfall
-
Green eggs and cabbage
13 May 2006
-
Tsunami risk of asteroid strikes revealed
12 May 2006
Simulations reveal the global risks of the killer waves created when asteroids smash into Earth's oceans – size matters, but impact location is crucial
-
Covert surveillance of US phone records revealed
12 May 2006
Sophisticated data mining of phone records could reveal much about citizens' lives, experts say – but the technique remains unproven for catching terrorists
-
Clearing protein 'smokescreen' helps battle cancer
12 May 2006
And the new research in mice also offers fresh insight into why some inflammatory diseases increase a person's cancer risk
-
Fast trachoma test could save millions of eyes
12 May 2006
The first cheap, simple and accurate test for the eye disease that ravages the developing world is successfully trialled
-
Hooligan chants silenced by delayed echoes
12 May 2006
Stadiums could use the technique to neutralise offensive chanting but experts say this might stir up other forms of crowd trouble
-
Drug-makers to withdraw single-drug malaria treatment
12 May 2006
To help ward off drug-resistant malaria, 13 pharmaceutical companies agree to stop selling artemisinin on its own and switch to multi-drug treatments
-
Remnants of the early solar system are lying at our feet
12 May 2006
Forget sending spacecraft to collect pristine dust from comets – it seems the right stuff is right here on Earth
-
Huge overspend puts weather satellites in jeopardy
12 May 2006
US lawmakers slam the management of the programme designed to provide next-generation weather predictions – it is up to $7 billion in the red
-
Tsunami still pollutes Sri Lankan wells
12 May 2006
The drinking water is still contaminated with seawater long after the ocean surged over the island's coastline, and will remain so for several years
-
'Mashup' websites are a hacker's dream come true
12 May 2006
Privacy and security go out the window when websites are merged to make them more useful
-
The stuff of beams: Building with light
12 May 2006
It must be the world's most unlikely construction material, but physicists are learning how to build structures using light
-
Space station supply vessel contenders revealed
11 May 2006
NASA has notified the finalists for its program to send commercial cargo and crewed ships to the orbiting outpost
-
Molecular 'traffic controller' sorts proteins by colour
11 May 2006
A technique for directing individual proteins through nanoscale channels could lead to advanced biological purification and processing devices
-
Why high-protein meat may curb appetite
11 May 2006
Fats and sugars influence appetite in the brain but a new rat study suggests proteins may do the same – implications for the Atkins diet are unclear
-
Ships' logs give clues to Earth's magnetic decline
11 May 2006
The accelerating drop in field strength is recent, mariners' meticulous records reveal, but fears of an impeding pole reversal may be unfounded
-
Self-censoring 'Chinese Wikipedia' launched
11 May 2006
But unlike its US counterpart, Baidupedia is deliberately censored to avoid offending the Chinese government
-
Superconduction at the flick of a switch
11 May 2006
An innovative way to turn superconductors on and off electronically could lead to the development of far faster computer chips
-
Muggings were rife in New Stone Age
11 May 2006
The first systematic survey of early Neolithic British skulls reveals that life was more violent than anyone expected
-
When is a black hole like a dripping faucet?
11 May 2006
Physicists trying to understand how black holes behave in the extra dimensions posited by string theory should hit the kitchen
-
Diving insects use buoyancy vests
11 May 2006
Insects called backswimmers resemble humans in more ways than one – they can regulate their depth like human scuba divers
-
Daydreams are different in autistic minds
10 May 2006
When the minds of non-autistic people are "idle", a brain network involved social and emotional thought is active – not so in autism
-
How Neptune snagged a passing moon
10 May 2006
It seems Triton was flying through space with a companion when the pair happened to pass Neptune, which parted them forever
-
The death rite of massive stars
10 May 2006
Long gamma-ray bursts were thought to go hand-in-hand with the final detonation of dying stars – but now it seems only the heftiest stars produce them
-
Boost for Arabic web users
10 May 2006
The internet is about to become a little more Arabic friendly, with plans to create the first dedicated Arabic-language search engine
-
Shape-shifting car will brace for impact
10 May 2006
The car will anticipate a side-on crash before activating reinforced shape-memory alloys – helping to better protect everyone in the vehicle
-
UK extends gene screening of embryos
10 May 2006
IVF embryos can now be rejected if they carry genes linked to adult cancers – critics say the move encourages "eugenic concepts of perfection"
-
Cancer destroyed by antibody 'triple whammy'
10 May 2006
The new approach, which kills tumours even when they have spread and prevents the tumours coming back, shows impressive success in mice
-
Space station loses orbit-boosting options
10 May 2006
Engine failures and control system problems have rendered the International Space Station less able to dodge fast-flying space debris
-
Editorial: Nuclear waste too hot to handle
10 May 2006
Deciding what to do with nuclear waste is one thing, but actually doing it is another, as the UK has demonstrated for the last 30 years
-
Modified cotton cuts pesticide use
10 May 2006
In the ongoing wrangle over genetically modified crops, the GM side wins a minor victory
-
Men's friendliness to children shows in their faces
10 May 2006
From a simple headshot women can predict a man's child-friendliness and his testosterone levels
-
Cells from mutant mice kill cancers
09 May 2006
The immune cells seek out and destroy tumours when injected into normal mice – and also protect against new and highly aggressive cancers
-
Indian space agency urges US to lift sanctions
09 May 2006
Relations between the two nations have warmed since March, when India agreed to inspections at its civilian nuclear reactors – but some sanctions still remain
-
Robo-roach could betray real cockroaches
09 May 2006
The tiny robot smells and acts just like a cockroach, fooling the insects into accepting it as one of their own
-
Our galaxy's halo is round not squashed
09 May 2006
Detailed observations suggest that the halo of dark matter surrounding the Milky Way is spherical not flattened
-
Did carob seeds allow shady diamond deals?
09 May 2006
Ancient jewellers used carob seeds as standard weights to measure diamonds – the trouble is, the seeds vary in weight like any other seed
-
US 'botmaster' jailed for hijacking 400,000 PCs
09 May 2006
The hacker has been jailed for almost 5 years after using the network of 'bots' to send out spam, display pop-up ads and attack internet sites
-
NASA gives Discovery go-ahead for assembly
09 May 2006
The next shuttle will soon be raised into a vertical position and attached to its fuel tank and twin rocket boosters but this time there will be no fuelling test
-
Virtual slicing gives faster testing
09 May 2006
A new visual technique could in future help safeguard pregnant women, by swiftly testing the effect of new over-the-counter drugs on mouse fetuses
-
Explosive sting of jellyfish captured on film
09 May 2006
Researchers record for the first time the powerful explosion of stingers triggered when the creature's tentacles brush against a victim
-
Clue to sexual attraction found in lesbian brain
08 May 2006
The brains of gay women do not respond to a chemical in male sweat that may attract straight women
-
Beetle's wings inspire water-moving materials
08 May 2006
Surfaces inspired by a desert beetle's trick for extracting water from the air could have a range of novel engineering applications
-
Dolphins play the name game, too
08 May 2006
Bottlenose dolphins appear to whistle each other's names – an act of communicating identity that is extremely rare among non-human creatures
-
X Prize sponsor may be first female space tourist
08 May 2006
Anousheh Ansari may travel aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft to the ISS in 2007, while South Korea may send its first astronaut into space in 2008
-
Invention: Bomb jammer
08 May 2006
This week's patents include a bomb-jamming device inspired by Jimi Hendrix, a computer controlled by hand gestures and a smarter way to scan for viruses
-
Robotic tentacles get to grips with tricky objects
08 May 2006
Replacing conventional mechanical arms with tentacle-like manipulators could enable robots to deal with unpredictable situations in the real world
-
Mirror jams on Venus Express spacecraft
08 May 2006
The mirror is meant to direct light onto an instrument designed to look for volcanic activity on the planet's surface
-
NASA braced for deluge of data from deep space
08 May 2006
You buy a flashy digital camera and then you realise you need broadband too. It seems NASA has a similar problem
-
Shape changer helps HIV play havoc
07 May 2006
In monkeys, an immune-system protein changes the shape of the virus particles, making HIV vulnerable to attack – in humans, the equivalent protein only makes things worse
-
North America just got smaller
06 May 2006
Where does Russia end and North America begin? The political boundaries have not changed, but the geological ones will have to
-
No winner in future climate league
06 May 2006
Expect flash floods in the Mediterranean, more snow for North-eastern Europe and odd weather patters across North America, new predictions warn
-
Lasers may test a weighty theory
06 May 2006
Attempts to reconcile the theories of general relativity and quantum mechanics, to develop a unified theory of everything, could be boosted by lasers
-
Bug-eye lens gives a broader view
06 May 2006
An artificial ultra-wide angle "eye", made up of thousands of tiny lenses, may soon allow us to see the world as an insect sees it
-
Highs without lows
06 May 2006
-
North America just got smaller
06 May 2006
Where does Russia end and North America begin? The political boundaries have not changed, but the geological ones will have to
-
Computer watches you bust a move
06 May 2006
Feel like shaking your booty, but worried you have no rhythm? A new computer system can follow the moves of any dancer, however footloose
-
Soundbites
06 May 2006
-
Antarctica rising
06 May 2006
-
Media hype
06 May 2006
-
The rotor that spins on a bubble
06 May 2006
What do you get if you take a set of miniature silicon helicoptor blades, drop them into a beaker of water and blast them with sound waves?
-
More and more animals face extinction
06 May 2006
Two of every five species on the planet that have been assessed by scientists face extinction, according to the latest World Conservation Union Red List
-
Lasers may test a weighty theory
06 May 2006
Attempts to reconcile the theories of general relativity and quantum mechanics, to develop a unified theory of everything, could be boosted by lasers
-
Insight: Beware escaped chimps
06 May 2006
Wild chips almost never attack people, but previously captive creatures can be unpredictable and violent, as several recent attacks have demonstrated
-
Gizmo
06 May 2006
-
Shape changer helps HIV play havoc
06 May 2006
In monkeys, an immune-system protein changes the shape of the virus particles, making HIV vulnerable to attack – in humans, the equivalent protein only makes things worse
-
Panama butterflies cosy up to other species
06 May 2006
Butterflies in Central America are providing evidence for inter-species breeding as an evolutionary force
-
Skin faults linked to allergic disorders
06 May 2006
For some children a minor cut could be the first step towards skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis, and even asthma and hay fever
-
This week 32 years ago
06 May 2006
-
Why gorillas gorge on decaying wood
06 May 2006
Mountain gorillas chew and swallow rotting wood, sometimes till their gums bleed – now, after decades of conjecture, we may know why
-
Saturn's spin is hard to pin down
06 May 2006
It's an iconic planet, but also one of the most puzzling – and now new measurements of Saturn's spin are adding to the mystery
-
Emergency Marburg treatment succeeds in test
06 May 2006
A vaccine has been tested in monkey's that could prevent the deadly Marburg virus from causing a haemorrhagic disease
-
How not to banish HIV
06 May 2006
The Bush administration's emphasis on chastity rather then condom use is undermining its own good work tackling AIDS in Africa, says Peter Gill
-
How chemicals can speed up evolution
06 May 2006
The mystery of how human DNA evolves during someone's lifetime looks a step closer to being solved
-
Nonhuman feet
06 May 2006
-
Archaeology isn't rubbish
06 May 2006
-
Feedback
06 May 2006
-
Putting bodies on display
06 May 2006
Public exhibitions of human bodies invite fascination and repulsion in equal measure, and it has always been thus, says Helen MacDonald
-
Germany's scientist chancellor brings high-tech renaissance
06 May 2006
A scientist by training, Germany's new chancellor has ambitious aims for the country's R&D; sector. Gaia Vince reports
-
Switzerland's thriving pharmaceutical industry
06 May 2006
How did a small, landlocked country with few natural resources become one of the world's most important chemical and pharmaceutical centres? Jo Whelan investigates
-
The Master Plan by Heather Pringle
06 May 2006
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Editorial: US may collide with success yet
06 May 2006
Particle physics is languishing in the US, but it may have one shot at a comeback, by winning the chance to build the International Linear Collider
-
Crash course
06 May 2006
-
60 Seconds
06 May 2006
-
Male birth control moves closer
06 May 2006
A new study suggests that sperm levels return to normal around three months after men stop taking experimental hormonal contraceptives
-
Ozone: the sequel
06 May 2006
The ozone layer will make a comeback, according to a new analysis, but not in the form we knew and loved
-
Diminishing returns
06 May 2006
-
Health woes pile up in the US
06 May 2006
US citizens have been falsely reporting their weight, meaning obesity levels have been hugely underestimated, and there is more bad news
-
Infinite Nature by R Bruce Hull
06 May 2006
-
The word: Primitive streak
06 May 2006
Two weeks or so after a sperm fuses with the egg, a crucial groove forms on the surface of the growing human embryo – the primitive streak
-
Cyclists breathe easier
06 May 2006
-
Ion traps are trumps
06 May 2006
-
Iran under threat
06 May 2006
-
Fixing eco-footprints
06 May 2006
-
Do as I do
06 May 2006
-
Evolution assumption
06 May 2006
-
Stealing time
06 May 2006
-
Interview: A life evolving
06 May 2006
Robert Trivers' ideas helped launch behavioural ecology – he tells us about his new book, which tackles "selfish genetic elements"
-
Stalactites: Chaos + time = beauty
06 May 2006
How does the drip, drip, drip of water transform a cave into an art gallery? New Scientist investigates
-
Change the way you see the world
06 May 2006
A small change of perspective can make a world of difference, say cartographers Danny Dorling and Anna Barford
-
UK told to bury nuclear waste, again
06 May 2006
Government advisors advocate a plan that has been rejected three times already in the last three decades
-
For the record
06 May 2006
-
"Obsolete" cellphones
06 May 2006
-
Laser cages control unruly atoms
05 May 2006
Trapping randomly moving atoms within laser lattices brings order to their motion, researchers say
-
Lunar lander is NASA's biggest 'challenge'
05 May 2006
The latest in the agency's Centennial Challenges programme, which aims to spur technological advances through competitions, has $2.5 million in prizes
-
The perils of cheerleading
05 May 2006
As they perform ever more spectacular stunts, cheerleaders are more at risk of injury – a new database aims to find out where the dangers lie
-
'Baby' robot learns like a human
05 May 2006
The one-armed Babybot learns to interact with its surroundings and could help scientists understand biological intelligence
-
'Chameleon' supernova had hidden accomplice
05 May 2006
The star mysteriously lost hydrogen during its final explosion and now, three years later, the smoke has cleared enough to see why
-
Tackling the 'kitchen killer' – solid fuel
05 May 2006
Investment to curb one of the world's biggest causes of death – smoke from solid cooking fuels – would repay itself seven times over, says a WHO report
-
Dread lights up like pain in your brain
05 May 2006
Waiting for a nasty event activates the pain-linked areas of the brain, making the situation so uncomfortable people will incur a penalty to get it over with
-
Aspartame: The healthy option?
04 May 2006
It's sweeter than sugar and has virtually no calories – yet aspartame is under attack. New Scientist assesses the latest evidence
-
Colossal dunes swathe Saturn's giant moon
04 May 2006
Stretching hundreds of miles in length and towering up to 150 metres, the Cassini probe reveals eerily Earth-like features on Titan
-
Cellphone masts can measure rainfall
04 May 2006
Monitoring the way rain interferes with signals sent between masts provides a cheap yet accurate way for weather forecasters to get live information
-
'Cyclic universe' can explain cosmological constant
04 May 2006
A universe which has bounced through a series of big bangs and big crunches for a trillion years could solve the puzzle
-
Hubble watches Jupiter's 'red spot races'
04 May 2006
The space telescope sends back the best shots yet of upcoming rookie "Red Spot Jr" as it races to overtake the old favourite, the Great Red Spot
-
Zooplankton survey plumbs the depths
04 May 2006
These tiny and beautiful creatures are a crucial part of life in the oceans – the genetics-based survey is hugely expanding our knowledge of them
-
Flu pandemic could cost billions
04 May 2006
But the use of economic models during preparations could help to stop healthcare systems descending into chaos, an expert meeting hears
-
Criticism of NASA science budget grows
04 May 2006
A new reports says cuts are misplaced and NASA's internal decision-making structure is flawed – but change may be imminent
-
The phone that roared
04 May 2006
In 1879, playwright George Bernard Shaw watched Thomas Edison carving himself a slice of the burgeoning telephone industry
-
Open the pod bay doors, HAL
04 May 2006
HAL 9000, the chatty if insecure computer from 2001, A Space Odyssey, has come a step closer to reality at NASA's Mars Desert Research Station
-
Way to mass produce key bird flu drug revealed
04 May 2006
Tamiflu will be critical in saving lives if a pandemic strikes but is hard to make – now a new and unpatented chemical synthesis could change all that
-
Tapping into vision, thoughts and dreams
04 May 2006
Your mind's eye may soon be offering more than just private viewings – are you ready to see your dream on the screen, asks New Scientist
-
Beware Europe's unknown viral nasties
04 May 2006
A veritable zoo of new viruses is circulating in Europe and could be killing people without even being suspected, a new study suggests
-
Free will – you only think you have it
04 May 2006
Underneath the uncertainty of quantum mechanics could lie a deeper reality in which, shockingly, all our actions are predetermined
-
UK to get EU's largest wind farm
03 May 2006
Shaking off its image as one of Europe's laggards on renewable energy, the UK has given the go-ahead for the onshore farm
-
US plans anti-satellite lasers
03 May 2006
Ground-based lasers that adapt to counteract atmospheric distortion could disable satellites without leaving dangerous debris in orbit
-
Early worms leave the birds behind
03 May 2006
Caterpillar populations are peaking earlier in the European spring, perhaps due to global warming, and birds that usually eat them are suffering as a result
-
Saturn's rotation puts astronomers in a spin
03 May 2006
NASA's Cassini craft has clocked Saturn taking 8 minutes longer to rotate than the Voyager probe reported during its 1980 flyby – what's going on?
-
Ozone layer: the sequel
03 May 2006
The ozone layer will make a comeback, according to a new analysis, but not in the form we knew and loved
-
ATM card to give access to virtual earnings
03 May 2006
The creators of the online game Project Entropia say the card will allow players to withdraw money earned in the virtual world as real cash
-
There's more than one bird flu, experts warn
03 May 2006
The deadly H5N1 strain sweeping across the globe is one of many candidate viruses for the next human flu pandemic strain, an international meeting hears
-
Preventing the sky falling in on Moon bases
03 May 2006
A meteoroid smash could destroy a base, so data from Apollo-era lunar seismometers is dragged out of retirement to check the risk of impacts
-
Wind turbines send wildlife diving for cover
03 May 2006
Noisy wind farms in California are making squirrels edgy and prone to scurrying for cover – to the detriment of animals that prey on them
-
Big new asteroid has slim chance of hitting Earth
02 May 2006
The 800-metre-wide rock has a tiny probability of colliding in just two years' time, highlighting how little could be done in the event of a serious threat
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Americans 'sicker' than their English counterparts
02 May 2006
The wealthiest Americans suffer rates of diabetes and heart disease similar to that of the poorest people in England, a new study finds
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Security threat to Apple computers growing
02 May 2006
Rapid growth in the discovery of critical vulnerabilities means hackers and viruses are increasingly targeting Apple software, say US security experts
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New Red List paints bleak picture of extinction
02 May 2006
Two of every five species on the planet that have been assessed by scientists face extinction, according to the World Conservation Union
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Invention: The riot slimer
02 May 2006
This week's patents include a slippery way to bring rioters to their knees, a sound way to deliver gene therapy, and the latest in crash helmets
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Kung-fu computer game delivers real kicks
02 May 2006
The game requires players to perform real moves – it could turn joystick-twiddling couch potatoes into athletic martial arts enthusiasts, its makers say
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Pluto probe poised to 'open its eyes'
02 May 2006
After 100 days, New Horizons has passed beyond the orbit of Mars on its nine-year journey – the time has come to test its key instruments
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Humans back in frame for ancient horse extinction
02 May 2006
A statistical evaluation of fossil findings suggests the Alaskan species may have vanished later than thought, meaning humans have no alibi
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Return of the wild dog
02 May 2006
Vaccinating domestic dogs against rabies has allowed the highly endangered, but highly social, African wild dog to make a comeback
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Variations in the genetic code of life
01 May 2006
The fundamental genetic language that unites everything from bacteria to whales can translate differently in insects and spiders
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Drill digs deeper than ever into Earth's crust
01 May 2006
Since the 1950s, scientists have dreamed of drilling down to the Earth's mantle – now the "gabbro" layer of oceanic crust is reached for the first time
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High-energy jets spew from short gamma-ray bursts
01 May 2006
The observations can pin down the colossal energy of the bursts, helping to reveal what causes them
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Motorbikes get a special glow
01 May 2006
A new glow-in-the-dark vehicle coating could reduced accidents on dark night-time roads
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Self-medicating sheep shake off the 'stupid' label
01 May 2006
Can sick sheep stick to their own prescriptions? Almost, since it seems that sheep can select the correct medicine to treat a specific ailment
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Cosmic calculator goes the distance
01 May 2006
For the first time, astronomers have used the light from a different type of supernova than the usual benchmarks to estimate cosmic distances